Chennai Super Kings (LSG) registered their third straight win in IPL 2026 after defeating Lucknow Supergiants (LSG) by five wickets at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai on Sunday, with Arul Patel leading the chase with a 23-ball 65.Arrol’s innings included the joint-fastest fifty in IPL history, as he reached the milestone in just 13 balls. It was also the fastest half-century by a CSK batsman and his first IPL half-century. With the win, CSK moved to fifth place on the points table, while LSG were pushed closer to elimination.It was the first time since 2019 that CSK successfully chased down a target above 180.Asked to bat first, LSG got off to a flying start through Josh Inglis, who scored 85 off 33 balls as the visitors scored 91 in the powerplay. However, CSK’s bowlers fought back strongly after the field restrictions, with Jamie Overton returning figures of 3/36 to help restrict LSG to 203/8.CSK started the chase quickly through Sanju Samson and skipper Rutoraj Gaikwad. But after Samson was bowled by Digvesh Rathi in an attempt to pull the fast ball, Arul took control of the game.The young batsman attacked from the start and quickly put pressure on LSG. He hit Avish Khan for three sixes in an over and Rathi another three sixes and a four.The biggest moment of the innings came when Arul hit Mohammad Shami over long-on for his seventh six to score 48 off 11 balls. He then reached his fifty in 13 balls, equaling Yashvi Jaiswal’s IPL record of 2023.After reaching the landmark, Arul took out a slip of paper from his pocket that read, “This is for you, father,” and wrote a few lines in Gujarati. The Chepak crowd chanted “Arul! Arul!” answered loudly. While the CSK dugout celebrated the innings.Arrol eventually fell to 65 off 23 balls at a strike rate of 282.61 with eight sixes and two fours. His innings also helped CSK register 97/1 in the powerplay, the highest powerplay score in Chepauk, surpassing LSG’s 91 in the match.Even after Arrol’s dismissal, the game was not over. LSG clawed their way back into the contest through Shehbaz Ahmed and Rathi, who removed Gaekwad and Devild Brews. Karthik Sharma made 20 in the 17th over before Avish Khan was dismissed to leave CSK at 169/5.As the pressure built, Prashant Vir and Shivam Dubey stayed calm to end the chase with four balls to spare. Vir remained unbeaten on 18 runs and was dismissed twice by Rathi and Nicholas Pooran during his innings.With 10 runs needed in the last over, Aiden Markram was handed the ball. After bowling two wides, he was hit by Dubey for back-to-back sixes as CSK sealed the win and kept their playoff hopes alive.
